Here's something you might be interested in.
At this end of Park (where it T’s into Adams Avenue), you usually think Mexican (El Zarape), Ethiopian (Muzita), or Persian (Soltán Banoo).
But last night I took the Extra Step, and boldly walked almost to Adams.
That’s where I caught this little place (okay, the restaurants all look little, up here in University Heights) with a sign in its window:
“Gazpacho.”
It’s one of those cold Spanish soups. Love it.
Also says “Specializing in the regional foods of Spain, France, Italy.” Also “Paella Saturday” on a big sign.
Man, how could I have missed this before?
So I end up inside Savory Deli and Market (4661 Park Boulevard), a small space that’s half deli, half eatery. Festooned with actual flags. French, Italian, Sicilian, Corsican.
French, Corsican flags
Good vibe.
But erk, no more gazpacho. They’re out. Menu’s mainly sandwiches and soups and salads. But then the guy serving, Mike, says they may have some Beef Bourgignon left.
Twelve dollars. A lot for me. But I’d walk a mile for a good beef bourgignon. Danger is, it often turns out to be just a watery stew. But when it’s good, it's really good. And this is terrific. Beefy, winey, garlicky, with lots of pearl onions, shrooms, ham -- pancetta, a kind of prosciutto (Ed later adds: but maybe not. See comment #2 below)-- to sex it up, plus big chunks of fall-away beef.
“My partner Julius marinated it in burgundy wine and slow cooked it all day,” says Mike.
Mike
Taste buds tell you it has to be true. Turns out these two spent years living in Paris, Marseilles, and places in Italy and Spain. Taught themselves the cooking. This is the result.
Plate comes with delicious green beans and sliced potato, bread.
Mike says for their sandwiches they use a 500-year-old recipe for Romagna flatbread called piadina, which they bake fresh with each sandwich they make -- like for the $7.50 piadina prosciutto -- so it comes straight out of the oven, steaming hot.
’Course the bread for my plate’s French, good for sopping up.
“Oh man,” I say. “If you only had some nice cheap red plonk to go with it.”
“We will, real soon,” Mike promises. “We’ve been working on that for two years.”
At this end of Park (where it T’s into Adams Avenue), you usually think Mexican (El Zarape), Ethiopian (Muzita), or Persian (Soltán Banoo).
But last night I took the Extra Step, and boldly walked almost to Adams.
That’s where I caught this little place (okay, the restaurants all look little, up here in University Heights) with a sign in its window:
“Gazpacho.”
It’s one of those cold Spanish soups. Love it.
Also says “Specializing in the regional foods of Spain, France, Italy.” Also “Paella Saturday” on a big sign.
Man, how could I have missed this before?
So I end up inside Savory Deli and Market (4661 Park Boulevard), a small space that’s half deli, half eatery. Festooned with actual flags. French, Italian, Sicilian, Corsican.
French, Corsican flags
Good vibe.
But erk, no more gazpacho. They’re out. Menu’s mainly sandwiches and soups and salads. But then the guy serving, Mike, says they may have some Beef Bourgignon left.
Twelve dollars. A lot for me. But I’d walk a mile for a good beef bourgignon. Danger is, it often turns out to be just a watery stew. But when it’s good, it's really good. And this is terrific. Beefy, winey, garlicky, with lots of pearl onions, shrooms, ham -- pancetta, a kind of prosciutto (Ed later adds: but maybe not. See comment #2 below)-- to sex it up, plus big chunks of fall-away beef.
“My partner Julius marinated it in burgundy wine and slow cooked it all day,” says Mike.
Mike
Taste buds tell you it has to be true. Turns out these two spent years living in Paris, Marseilles, and places in Italy and Spain. Taught themselves the cooking. This is the result.
Plate comes with delicious green beans and sliced potato, bread.
Mike says for their sandwiches they use a 500-year-old recipe for Romagna flatbread called piadina, which they bake fresh with each sandwich they make -- like for the $7.50 piadina prosciutto -- so it comes straight out of the oven, steaming hot.
’Course the bread for my plate’s French, good for sopping up.
“Oh man,” I say. “If you only had some nice cheap red plonk to go with it.”
“We will, real soon,” Mike promises. “We’ve been working on that for two years.”